In response to the legislature not showing up to work today or making any progress at all toward a final education budget, despite being two weeks past their legal obligation to do so, the K-12 Alliance of Michigan, Michigan Association of Superintendents and Administrators, Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators, Michigan Association of School Boards, Michigan Alliance for Student Opportunity, Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals and Education Advocates of West Michigan released this joint statement today:

“This week, both the House and Senate failed to show up to work on a scheduled session day and continue to flout the statutory provision requiring finalizing a state budget by July 1. This is a manufactured crisis for our schools brought on by those inside our Capitol who are more interested in using education funding as a tool to pay for their ill-conceived road funding plan than to actually help our students succeed. We implore the Legislature and the Governor to put aside the usual Lansing politics and quickly pass a responsible K-12 School Aid Budget that ensures our classrooms have the funding they need to do what’s best for Michigan’s kids. It’s time for the games to stop.”